


Best Years of My Life

by SinningIntensifies



Category: Karneval (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Add more tags when I see fit, Age changes, Akari-21, Alternate Universe - High School, Blood and Gore, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Gareki-17, High School AU, High School Drop outs, Hirato-19, Horror, I kinda suck at being funny, Iva-18, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Murder Mystery, Nai-15, Parties, Scream the TV Series AU, So yeah, Teen Pregnancy, Teens being stereotypical teens, That's All I Can Think Of, Tsukitachi-18, Underage Drinking, Underage Sex, Underage Smoking, Yanari-15, Yogi is fucking head over heels for Gareki, Yogi-17, and Gareki has a nice ass, because Jiki is a thirsty hoe, but he doesn't know how to flirt, fuck it I'll tag it just in case, light humor?, maybe more if I'm feeling ballsy ;)), or does he ;;)), slight Jiki/Gareki if you squint
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-22
Updated: 2017-04-05
Packaged: 2018-10-09 10:38:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10410276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SinningIntensifies/pseuds/SinningIntensifies
Summary: Highschool, to many, was known as the best years of their youth. With all the parties, drinking, and seemingly endless dating pool, nobody could really complain.It remained like that for god knows how long before reality strikes hard. A string of murders sets off one of the biggest crime sprees in all of Lakewood History and manages to become the top trending hashtag online.Gareki Karasuna, Lakewood High Film Society's Vice President, finds himself heavily invested in the recent outbreak of homicides. Curiosity gets the best of him as he, and his friends, begin to receive mysterious phone calls.Playing detective after discovering the police weren't being as honest as originally thought, Yogi, Gareki, and the rest of their friends find out that murder isn't the only mystery to solve.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Sooooo hello! Since this is a prologue the chapter is going to be pretty short. Don't be afraid to drop down in the comment box because feedback is greatly appreciated here. The first chapter should be up by tomorrow or the day after, but I'm unsure how frequent I'll be able to update after that so be patient.

 

The night was grim and dark with only the hums of cicadas to keep an atmospheric warmth. The thick summer humidity shoved itself into Nima’s sore throat, and made it harder for her to breathe. Slamming her car door shut, she flung her purse over her shoulder and scurried to the front door. The prominent clicking of her pencil point heels echoed unpleasantly through the neighborhood’s eerie silence.

           

 Cooling air brushed her cheeks as she entered the fine house. There to greet her at the door sat a small cow-like animal the size of a kitten. It stared at her curiously with its beating red eyes, and its stubby and dull horns. Nima glared in disgust at the creature, her pale blue eyes sharpening. She roughly nudged it away with her foot and griped aloud, “I thought I told Isosa to cage that damn thing when she’s not here.”

 

She sauntered down the hallway, passing windows for walls and many expensive art pieces adoring her home. The feeling of being watched washed over her before disappearing, but she continued walking anyway. Her room was extravagant in size and was painted a delicate teal. She dropped her bag next to her king size bed, and pulled her long black tresses from the painfully tight bun. Relieved, she placed the red floral chopsticks on her nightstand. An open laptop sitting on the tall dresser began to ring, an unknown caller requesting a video chat. Without a single bit of hesitation, she tapped the green phone icon.

 

“Evening, gorgeous,” a voice rang from the speakers. On the screen was a man’s face adorned with a smirk.

 

Nima found herself smirking as well. “Hey baby. Something you need?” She leaned her chin in her hands with her elbows on the wooden surface.

           

“You,” the man breathed. Nima simply stared with little emotion.

           

“You’ve had the chance to come over all week. That pig of a husband was on a business trip, but,” she trailed off and glanced outside the large glass doors to the backyard. The Man only rolled his brown eyes, and ran a frustrated hand through his short and kinky locks.

 

“But what?” His voice demanded.

 

 “But he’s coming back tomorrow, so I’m enjoying my last night of freedom in the hot tub,” she shook her head and brushed off the feeling of being watched again.

 

“Then put on a show, sweetheart. You’ve always been good at that,” he nearly pleaded, but kept his cool.

 

“Well, since you asked so nicely,” Nima gave a teasing shake of the hips as she went and placed her bikini onto the violet bed sheets. She rested her foot on the sitting chest at the end of her bed, causing her tight slit skirt to raise. She began to unzip the side in an agonizingly slow manner, revealing the red garter belt holding her black nylon socks. She swiftly removed the remainder of her clothing piece and let her long, silk coat fall off her shoulders onto the wood floors.

 

“That’s what I’m talkin’ about, babe,” The Man watched with pleasure as she continued to undress.

 

The woman turned her back to him, and unbuttoned her silk blouse. She kicked the black coat over to her bag with her red heel and turned back to the laptop. She shook her hips slowly once more, and ran her hands through her hair. After a little more teasing she finally removes her shirt, left in her frilly and lacy red undergarments. The clack of her heels comes closer to the computer as she sways her curvaceous body. She smirks and brings her face closer to the camera with squinted eyes.

 

“Show’s over, cutie,” she giggles as The Man’s jaw drops. He gives a heavy sigh at her taunting.

 

“Damn you. You’re lucky I don’t want to get caught by your daughter, or I would’ve already been over there to ha- “

 

“Yes, but luckily you're smart. And don’t worry about Isosa; she’s oblivious to everything. She probably doesn’t even know that Meiga and I have been planning on divorcing next year. It’s not like we’re secretive about it either, she can just be so,” Nima failed to find the right words without looking bad. She hated her daughter; that child was the product of her and a man that never loved her. Isosa was a failure with average grades, little to no friends, and no exceptional love interests. Not to mention she wasn’t the prettiest either.

 

“I understand, babe. But once that loser and brat are out of your life, we can start over together. Just you and,” The Man paused abruptly and glanced around his screen.

 

“What’s the problem?” Nima questioned.

 

“I thought I saw something outside,” his words felt distant as he continued to inspect the outside of the door. Nima groaned in annoyance.

 

“It was probably that ugly pet of Isosa’s. Damn thing always gets out and fucks up the flowerbeds. Goodnight, baby. I’ll call you when I can. Meiga should be heading out on another trip next week. Be sure to make some time for me,” Nima smiled lightly.

 

“I will. Love you,” The Man didn’t smile back.

 

“Love… you,” Nima was interrupted by the screen going black, signaling he had already hung up. She sighed, and ignored the fact she didn’t get to say her parting ‘I love yous.’ The laptop’s screen retuned to the desktop page. A notification popped up in the corner saying,

 

**Isosa: going to spend the night at Tsubame’s house. project took longer than we thought it would. Love uuuuu!**

****

Nima couldn’t care less to reply and closed the computer. The bathing suit sitting on her bed reminded her that she was going to go relax. She got dressed in the white bikini and grabbed her pink beach robe. Another notification appeared on her phone this time; a low battery warning. The woman placed it on the charger without a single contemplation and took her iPod to the backyard.

 

The raven head hooked up the device to some speakers sitting on the patio table and clicked ‘shuffle.’ Music filled the yard’s uncomfortable void and lightened the mood. Nima padded over the smooth stones, past a large pool, to the illuminated hot tub just at the edge of the forest. The motion sensors on the porch put the lights out a couple seconds after.

 

The delicate sounds of pleading vocals and a gentle caress of piano pulled Nima into a peaceful state. The warm water soaked into her stressed body as she decided to nap a bit. Her eyes peeked open when the music suddenly chose to stop. Lights shone in the corner of her pale blue eyes, and she felt startled as the porch lights turned off once more. She hoisted herself from the heated water and shuffled over to check her iPod. Fear sunk in, for it was missing. She checked under and around the table, but to no avail. The tension and stress returned to her as she felt angry and confused, more than anything.

 

A splash erupted from behind and gave her a heart attack. She clutched her chest in shock and saw odd objects floating in the pool. On closer inspection, Nima’s blood froze. Sunken to the bottom of the pool was her iPod, but what was floating on the surface were Polaroid photos of herself just a couple minutes ago. Any courage she owned until then was promptly disposed of, pushed out of the way so the deep and unpleasant feeling of utter horror could absorb her very being. She sunk to her knees and leaned over the pool edge to grab the photographs. Her finger only brushed the paper when all the back yard lights suddenly died.

           

Her body filled with adrenaline as she screeched. She felt trembles wracking her very being. The humid air had lost its warmth and became an unsettling tension. Nima could feel eyes all over her, she could hear taunting laughter that chilled her soul. There was no light to shine in her pathway, she was stranded in the dark. The only glimpse of light that remained peaked through the curtains of the back door. That was the way to safety. The only way.

 

She hesitantly stood up and crept over to the door. The tip of her toe caught on the lip of a steppingstone and pulled her into a face-first plummet. Pain rung through her jaw and brought writhing agony. What little she could see fell into a drunken and blurred state. Warm liquid ran down her neck, and gave her goosebumps. She lifted herself from the brittle concrete and brushed off her scrapes, still too stunned to see the large figure appear behind her.

 

A piercing ache shot from the small of her back and grew to an intense burn. She cried aloud in anguish before falling on her stomach. Fear contorted over her pale features as a warm and thick puddle formed around her. The liquid looked black in the lack of proper lighting, but she knew what it was. Her life; that's what it was. The pungent metallic scent suffocated her, but she continued on. Her legs could barely move with the waves of pain running through her body, so she resorted to dragging herself.

 

Exhausted and wheezing, Nima scraped along the brittle ground. A face flashed in her mind; The Man on the computer screen. She imagined his fluffy locks and gorgeous brown eyes, she felt like she was falling in love all over again. A pleasant comfort rushed over and enveloped her body like a blanket. The bittersweet reality sunk in as the life drained from her eyes; she would never see her lover again, and she would die as that pig’s wife. Tears escaped and trickled like gentle beads down her cheeks. Her legs were completely void of feeling or function, and her hands were rubbed raw to the point where she couldn't bare to use them anymore.

 

“I knew it,” she choked out. “I knew I would never be free.”

 

The world lost its color and shape as her vision failed. All that remained was the shadow of a person standing before her. She could no longer feel the adrenalizing dread that pulsed through her veins a few moments ago, only the fleeting sadness as more salty tears rolled away. Nothing, not even a miracle, would save her now. She was doomed to die there; shamefully lain in a puddle of her own blood, mascara running and lipstick smeared. The life drained away with nothing but a disgusting cow-like kitten’s whimpers and the click of a Polaroid camera.

 

And then she was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took forever to update!!!

“Good morning my fellow Lakewood students, and welcome back from summer vacation! As the first day of school, all freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors will report to homeroom for teacher lectures. Any lingerers will be written up. On a side note, a message to the football team from me, Gareki. As the Film Club’s Vice President, I would greatly appreciate it if you would tile down on the steroid-driven attitudes while walking through the hallways; you have become a bothersome disruption to after school clubs and tutor sessions. Just because school was out, it doesn't mean people weren't here. Please grow up and act like adults. Thank you, and now I'll hand the mic over to Ceceli,” static and shuffling traveled through the school speakers. The silence was filled with a chipper and upbeat female voice that rung through the clustered halls. 

“Good morning my lovelies! This is your pal Ceceli with some wonderful announcements for you; the Culinary Club will be opening their student café in room 137 by the end of this week. Come on down for all sorts of food. From muffins to pastries, you'll never want to leave. Drama club will be meeting Wednesday afternoon, be sure to sign up and have a ride home prepared. Football tryouts will be taking place next Thursday, please have an updated physical on hand. And lastly, Film Club will be having a meeting this afternoon. Come down and sign up, we don't bite! That concludes the morning announcements, have a great day and go easy on the freshmen.”

Gareki rolled his eyes as he flipped the microphone’s power switch. “You are such a nerd.”

Ceceli clutched at her chest in despair with a deep and dramatic gasp. “You wound me greatly, so very greatly.”

The Raven head giggled under his breath, too lazy to retort to her banter. He dragged himself from the plastic chair to grab his water bottle by the soundboard. The trip was short, being the room he and Ceceli were squeezed into was not even the size of a small powder room. The space was so compact Gareki had to watch his hips if he didn't want to bump any equipment or chairs. 

“let's get out of here and grab some snacks,” Gareki shrugged on his bag and slipped out the door into the library. Ceceli flipped the light switch, animatedly tailing behind her friend. 

Gareki’s nose crinkled at the thick smell of paper and printer ink as small herds of students cluttered around computers to gawk over whatnot. Their voices remained rushed and hushed amongst one another, but their eyes kept to the ancient monitors wearily. He didn't care for the most part; he may be a slut for a good meme or two, but extensive human interaction killed his plastic happy vibes. The number of people seemed off being the library was usually dead this time in the morning, and the look of the librarians showed nothing but something grim in mind. Gareki suddenly felt uncomfortable, left out even. Had something happened? That had to be it; the atmosphere wasn't lively or rowdy like every room this full of teens should be. Ceceli seemed to have reached the same conclusion and exchanged a look before lightly bumping him and hiking to one of the flocks she was most familiar with. 

She adjusted her glasses and leaned all her weight onto one foot, hands resting on the straps of a red Polaroid camera. Her presence caught their attention, and she was instantly showered with “good mornings” and “what's ups.” The minute spark of curiosity buried itself in her friendly demeanor, afraid she'd come off too strong. Gareki stuck himself beside the girl with only a mutual expression. Nobody bothered to say anything to him, too busy posing at the computer for Ceceli to snap a “casual” photo of students at work for the yearbook. She always used the yearbook as an excuse to speak with people or steal a picture of them. It was like she was a spy on a top-secret mission considering the fine show she put up to get juicy gossip. Her acting was scarily on point. 

Gareki glanced off to look at the small array of crummy punned posters littering a single corner, not particularly interested in the conversation. His blue orbs mourned over the horribly kept physics section just underneath them, slightly miffed by the fact that it was filed between literature and mythology. Organization was obviously not the librarian’s strong point. How ironic. His eye caught sight of a person leaning against a shelf. The blond visibly stiffened as he noticed Gareki's unintentional stare. The man was clearly not reading since the book was upside down. The raven head shifted his gaze toward the ceiling, suddenly intrigued by the gross stains. The blond peeked from his hefty hardback and studied Gareki's body; his averted gaze, the habitual knuckle cracking with his thumb, the way he kept shifting his feet, the light pout of his pink lips, the way his bangs caressed his cheeks. The blond continued to intensely stare and drink in the sight like a lost puppy, his face lightly flushed in embarrassment. The heat in his cheeks intensified to his friend's comment. 

“You are borderline eye fucking him, Yogi. Quit being creepy and say something to him already, Jesus fuck.”

Yogi fumbled with the book as he choked on air. 

“Tsukitachi, can you like not be gross for two seconds of your life?” A venomous voice hissed. The woman flipped her thick teal ponytail and tugged on her pleated skirt. The green of her eyes dulled over with disgust but held a bit of mockery. 

Tsukitachi took a swig from his silver thermos, wincing, before countering with a higher voice. 

“Eww. Omg Iva, could you like totally not be a bitch for one day? And don't give me shit because I decided to say what everyone's thinking. Honestly Yogi, I'm not the one being stared down like a life source here, and yet you're managing to make me uncomfortable.”

Yogi was at loss for words, winded even. His embarrassment shifted to glazed ignorance.

“Don't know what you're talking about,” he muttered coolly and looked forward off into space. No way was he having this conversation again. It was the same every single time; “ask him out already, Yogi”, “just smack his ass and see what happens, Yogi”, “maybe he'd like that, Yogi.” The thought brought waves of shame, and a little bit of heat he would never admit to. 

“God, you are such a wimp. Keep this shit up, and I won't be able to hold Jiki back anymore. He'll go batshit insane when finds out your little crush is up for grabs,” Tsukitachi teases from behind his thermos. He quietly yelps as the broth burns his tongue. 

Iva shook her head in shame at the company she kept. She picked at her dark blue nail polish before exhaling harshly. “Maybe I'll do something about it,” she thought aloud. A smirk crept over her sharp features with a merciless glint in her eyes. “Maybe I will.”

Yogi and Tsukitachi shivered at her dark expression, and before they knew it, Iva was already dragging Yogi out of the library. Gareki spared the rushing two only a glance before readjusting his attention to Ceceli’s words. It was none of his business, he thought. 

“Wow. That’s horrible. And that was on the news this morning?” Ceceli feigned concern and only showed interest in the story’s gruesome details. She peaked over to the computer for probably the twelfth time and took in everything with a fine eye. Her teal eyes scanned over each of the words and found them landing on a disturbing image. Multiple censored photos showed a collapsed woman in a puddle of blood. Her face and wound were pixelated out, leaving only pale skin and clumped raven locks to the viewer. 

Gareki barely gave his attention to the image; Ceceli would fill him in later anyway. His mind fell blank as the haunting image glared at him.


End file.
